Heading to Kuching and looking for a fabulous beach to hang out at, enjoy and maybe to spend the night? Consider Damai Beach!
Located just 35 kilometres from Kuching, this is your best option for some enjoyable beach time. Not just that, but there are some nice things to do in Damai Beach, a national park and the Sarawak Cultural Village. Add in the beach and the rainforest coated Mount Santubong, and this is a pretty spot as well.
If you are thinking about basing yourself at a beach, Damai Beach Sarawak is also the place to head. There are some nice Damai Beach hotel Kuching options including the big Damai Beach Resort Kuching.
There are plenty of reasons to love visiting the Sarawak Damai Beach whether you want to come for a meal, the day or longer. Below, you will find our full guide of everything you need to know about Damai Beach including what it’s like, what to do at Damai Beach Kuching, Damai Beach accommodation and how to get to Damai Beach from Kuching.
Let’s start!
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Damai Beach Sarawak
Damai Beach is a great beach. It offers golden sand and turquoise water. Damai Central Beach is the place to head for easy access, toilets, lockers and places to eat. It’s just across from the Sarawak Cultural Village so you can easily visit both in a day trip.
There is a lot of greenery from the surrounding rainforest around the beach which adds to its beauty. The looming Mt Santubong in the background is quite spectacular. For a beach near a major city, it feels like you are a long way away from it all.
Damai Beach is especially known for its beautiful sunsets.
What To Do At Damai Beach Kuching (Other Than The Beach)
There are plenty of things to do in Damai Beach Santubong beyond enjoying the beach. Here’s a list of some of the close attractions and, of course, you can also visit places like Bako National Park, Semmenggoh Nature Reserve and all the attractions in nearby Kuching.
Sarawak Cultural Village
The Sarawak Cultural Village is a living museum with a collection of traditional longhouses, cultural performances and crafts. One of the many great things about this place is that it represents the major ethnic groups of Sarawak, both indigenous as well as Chinese and Malay. It’s like a tour around Sarawak in one day 🙂
There are longhouses from groups such as Bidayuh, Iban and Orang Ulu as well as a Malay town house, a Penan hut and Chinese farmhouse. A representative from each group – dressed in traditional clothing – welcomes you to their respective home and showcases their tribe’s culture through demonstrations of unique cultural activities. You can try things like a blowpipe or top spinning.
This cultural village is positioned on beautiful grounds and it’s lovely just walking round and visiting the traditional buildings, but make sure you also catch the multicultural dance performance – presented twice a day – which highlights the harmonious and peaceful style of living that can be found amongst these Sarawakian groups. You even get the opportunity to get up on stage yourself 🙂
Finally, end your visit by sampling the different foods on offer at the on-site restaurant. We suggest ordering their ethnic set menu which combines signature dishes from each group, giving you a chance to taste them all!
You can choose to visit here solo or on a tour where you’ll have a guide to help you make the most of this experience.
Click here to find a fabulous tour.
Trekking
Right by Damai Beach is the Mount Santubong National Park where you can find jungle clad trails to hike or ascend the big Mt Santubong (810 metres) that you can see from Damai Beach and from the whole area on your drive to Damai.
Trails vary from an easy 300 metre track to the challenging 6.6 kilometre track up to the summit of the mountain. Or you can try something in the middle.
Trails can be slippery and muddy so wear good hiking shoes.
You can find a description of your trail choices here.
Damai Beach Golf Course
This 18-hole golf course has a beautiful setting between the base of Mount Santubong, the beach, mangrove forests and rocky outcrops. Designed by Arnold Palmer, it’s an international standard, par 72 golf course.
It has an ocean 9 and mountain 9 which are known for being quite different courses. Visitors are welcome.
Santubong Wildlife Cruise
These special cruises sail from the Santubong River to the rivers and mangroves of the Santubong Peninsula (where Damai Beach is located), the mouth of the Salek Estuary and the Kuching Wetlands National Park just to the south and southwest of Damai Beach.
As you cruise along, your guide will look out for Irrawaddy dolphins, proboscis monkeys, silver-leaf monkeys, crocodiles, long-tailed macaques, monitor lizards and a variety of birds. As the day darkens, there are fireflies to spot as well.
It’s a great opportunity to explore the natural side of this area some more.
I absolutely loved this cruise and not just the Irrawaddy dolphins and proboscis monkeys we spotted, but just how beautiful the whole area is as the sun sets. It’s a fantastic way to see this part of the world.
Click here to join this wildlife cruise now or click here to read our full review of this cruise.
Kuching
The city of Kuching is just a 40 minute drive away, so you can definitely visit Kuching as part of your stay at Damai Beach.
Kuching has a great riverfront area to wander, museums, such as the Borneo Cultures Museum, Natural History Museum and the hilarious Cat Museum (Kuching means cat in Malay), temples, a bustling Chinatown and more. It also has some great natural attractions in its surrounds like Semenggoh Nature Reserve where you can see orangutans.
It’s easy to spend a day wandering around Kuching, checking out the museums and temples, looking out for cat statues, soaking up the vibe and trying the food. It’s definitely a must do while you are in the area.
Read our full guide to all the things to do in Kuching here.
Damai Beach Hotel Options
If you love the idea of staying at Damai Beach then there are two good options.
To help you decide, here are the hotel near Damai Beach Kuching reviews.
Damai Beach Resort Review
Kuching Damai Beach Resort is a popular option. Located right by the beach, you can’t get closer than this either!
This is a big resort with 242 rooms with two queen bed or king bed options. All rooms include air-conditioning, tea and coffee making facilities and a minifridge. You’ll also have a desk area, flatscreen TV and a balcony or some type of outdoor area.
There’s a variety of room options depending on how much space you want, what type of outlook as well as which extra amenities you’d like. There are suites available with living areas and great terraces.
In addition to the great access to the beach, the Damai Beach Resort hotel has two swimming pools, two kids’ pools, a tennis court, mini-golf, table tennis, beach volleyball and soccer. There’s also free wifi, a gym, a day spa, a convenience store and a tour desk that can help you organise everything you need.
There’s an on-site restaurant with all day dining and local and international options. Breakfast gets great reviews but for other meals, you may be better off venturing outside the hotel. There are other options in walking distance.
The downside of the Damai Beach Resort Sarawak is that some rooms and facilities need a facelift and maintenance. Paying for better rooms can help ensure you have a better experience.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Permai Rainforest Resort Resort Review
Another option that is super convenient to the beach is the Permai Rainforest Resort. This simple hotel is great for people who want to get back to nature with rooms spread out to take advantage of the rainforest setting.
The room types are definitely different to most hotel near Damai Beach options. There are some amazing tree house rooms which are up high in line with the forest canopy. You can also stay in a villa closer to the ground or camp. There’s often wildlife spotting opportunities from your room.
All rooms include air-conditioning, tea and coffee making facilities and ensuite bathrooms. They try to keep things simple to ensure you feel like you are surrounded by nature. Unfortunately, rooms haven’t been maintained as well as they could be and there are many mixed reviews on the quality of the rooms.
This resort also has a restaurant in a beautiful rainforest and sea setting as well as many activities available. You can go stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, trekking, snorkelling, hire a bike or more. There is only wifi available in the reception and restaurant.
Staying at the Permai Rainforest Resort is a great choice for people who want to enjoy the natural side of this area with fun activities, wildlife and great views and don’t mind if their room is old.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Where Is Damai Beach Kuching Sarawak?
Address: Santubong, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Damai Beach Kuching Sarawak is located about 35 kilometres north of Kuching on the Santubong Peninsula surrounded by the South China Sea and the Mount Santubong National Park.
How To Get To Damai Beach From Kuching
You can travel Kuching Damai Beach by local bus, a shuttle bus or by taxi (use Grab). A Grab costs around RM40-50 depending on how busy the system is at the time you want to use it. It is easy to get one to Damai Beach from Kuching, but it can be tricky to get one back.
The local bus is K15 from Saujana Bus Station in Kuching. More convenient is the Damai Shuttle which leaves from the Grand Margherita Hotel in Kuching and heads to Damai Beach and Sarawak Cultural Centre. It also does the return journey. Check with the hotel for the latest timetables and prices.
If you want to travel from Kuching Airport to Damai Beach Resort, take a taxi or use the Grab app for a cheaper private transfer on arrival.
Final Words
Damai Beach Borneo is a great place to visit for anyone looking for a beach break near Kuching.
It has some great things to do if you want to stay longer or you can simply enjoy the great beach.
I hope this guide has helped you learn everything you need to know about this beautiful spot.
Looking for other things to do in Kuching? Find our full guide here. You can also find our full guide to where to stay in Kuching here and our full travel guide to Kuching here.
Planning a trip to Malaysia? Have any questions? Join our Malaysia Travel Planning Facebook group here now! It’s the perfect place to ask any questions and to be inspired!
